At home with Hampus
How Nitty Gritty’s buyer thinks (and dresses.)
While in Sweden to interview Christoffer Lundman, I also went to see Hampus von Hauswolff at his home. Hampus is the men’s (and women’s) buyer for Nitty Gritty, one of Europe’s most interesting independent stores, and also one of few truly agenda-setting worldwide retailers, at least when it comes to contemporary menswear. For a new label, being picked up by Nitty Gritty early is the kind of signal boost you dream of.
I wanted to talk to Hampus for two reasons. First, to better understand what a buyer who sees everything enjoys actually wearing himself. Second, to understand the nuances of his work a little better, in case any wisdom about the buyer’s mindset could translate to a smarter shopping one for us all. Enjoy!
Before anything else, I’m seeing this beautiful tapestry on the wall. (shown below)
That’s Swedish, actually. It’s an Ann-Mari Forsberg design from the time she was at Märta Måås-Fjetterström, a weavery that still exists. They still make them today, but the old ones are highly sought after. I bought this about six years ago at an auction, it was the only one I could afford.
Turning to the clothes, a couple of years ago you told me you’d worn the same Comme des Garcons shirt almost weekly, for about ten years. Are you still doing that?
Yes! The Forever shirt, which they still make in France. You can tell that it’s old too, because it has the old stitched inner labels, which I think are much nicer. When I started shopping for cheaper, second-hand Comme after my first trip to Japan, I realized I also veered towards Comme des Garcons Homme specifically. The designer at the time was making more wearable garments than Comme’s experimental stuff, and that fits my style more.
In the opposite direction, did you purchase anything from this season?
This Auralee ‘Summer knit’, which is like a long-sleeved cashmere t-shirt. Many stores placed an order for the striped version only, and I understand why, because 100-percent black cashmere as a summer piece is a bit… different. But I bought one for myself, and feel very sharp wearing it with just a pair of light denim or dress trousers.
